The Family
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. People Vicious, merciless, aggressive, bloodthirsty. The Family is often described with strong, unfriendly adjectives, and any who happen to cross paths with them can attest that their reputation suits them well. Within the Kingdom, unless an outsider is escorted in, they will be killed immediately. Outside of the Kingdom, an outsider will be offered the chance to join the Family. If that outsider is on one of the Family's claimed territories (or territory they seek to claim) and they refuse to join, then they will be killed. The only exception with this offer is to the strays that evade the Family's wrath - in which case, any stray found is to be immediately murdered, and their corpse brought back to show the entire Family one's victory and loyalty. Although terror stills the heart of any Family or Infant who crosses paths with the Mines (and sometimes their Children, too), when times are good, the majority of the Family treats each other well - similar to that of a clan. Only the Removed are treated badly due to the crimes they have committed, and most others enjoy living within the Family rather peacefully. The only cause for concern is that members are not allowed to leave the Kingdom unless their group has at least one Child or Mine with them, and the Children must inform the Mines of their leave. Children are allowed to come and go as they please, but they must go in pairs or more. The Removed are not allowed to leave at all for any reason unless they are working (must have their escorts and a Child with them), but even then they are usually never brought far from the Kingdom. There is no leaving the Family. Once you are deemed a member, you are considered bound to the Family by blood. The only way out is to sever the bond and bleed your way out - in other words, the only way out is through death. Heirarchy and Ranks The Family is divided into five ranks (highest to lowest): the Family of Mine (the Mines), the Children, the Family, the Infants, and the Removed. There is nothing that really sets the ranks apart aside from where they spend their time within the Compound, but rumors travel fast within the Family, and there's always at least three sets of eyes upon someone at all times. Trying to deceive one's way through the ranks would be a very unwise gamble. The Family of Mine Informally called the "Mines" (but never to their faces), these are the four cats that run the Family: a mated pair known as Father of Mine and Mother of Mine, and a siblings pair known as Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine. When one passes away, both are striped of their title unless they present a worthy replacement that meets the criteria (i.e. a male mate for Mother, or a female mate for Father; a blood brother for Daughter, or a blood sister for Son). Although it almost never happens, anyone may challenge a Mine for their role provided they meet the criteria for the rank. The Son and Daughter are the most at risk for challenges, but it is still rare. These few have fought and bled and earned the respect and fear of the Family to gain their role, and all of them will do whatever it takes to keep it. Losing it oftentimes means death, or constant ridicule to suicide. The only exception to this was NAME (see History). If the siblings die, the mated pair chooses a new Son and Daughter, but the rank is still open to any challengers. Although all four rule together, final decisions and overruling belong to the Mother and Father. Generally, there is an "alpha" one of the pair who is at the absolute top, but there have been pairs known to be completely equal (rare). When one dies, the other must either take up a new, worthy mate, or follow their previous mate in death. When this happens, either the Son or the Daughter may step up to take their place with a worthy mate. If only one has a mate, that pair becomes the new Mother and Father. If both have a mate, they would either peacefully decide who would step up and who would step down (not recommended due to the ridicule) or they would fight to the death for the title. If neither has a mate (which has never happened), it is assumed to be an all out blood bath for the titles... No real rule has been set in place for this occurrence. The Mother and Father are addressed only by their full titles (Mother of Mine, Father of Mine). They may address each other as Wife of Mine and Husband of Mine. Only in very private, rare, intimate moments might they call each other by their real names. The Son and Daughter are addressed only by the title of Brother of Mine and Sister of Mine by each other and by the rest of the Family. Only their blood parents, the Mother, and the Father will refer to them by Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine. All members of the Family including blood parents may not address the siblings by their real names - the only exceptions are the Mother and Father, but this is extremely rare and only done in private moments if the mated pair are the blood parents of the siblings, or when the siblings are in trouble/about to be striped of their title, or at least challenged for it. The Children Each Mine has their own posse that are loyal not only to the Family as a whole, but more specifically to them for one reason or another. As most of the lower ranks need help and connections to climb to the higher ranks, most of the people found here will be blood/chosen relatives, friends, and others who they may owe a debt to for saving their life or helping the Mine reach their rank - whatever the reason is up to the individual Mine and does not have to be disclosed unless issues or suspicions have risen around said person. These are often very tough and aggressive cats, and if you mess with one, you mess with the entire posse. The rest of the Family refer to these cats as the X's Children/Child (replacing 'X' with the corresponding Mine, i.e. the Son's Children/Child). They refer to each other by their real names, and the Mines will each call them by their real name as well (though during official business or if they are in trouble, they will be referred to by their title only). Within the Children, each Mine also has their own 'inner circle' - the people they would trust with their lives, the ones who they seek advice from in times of turmoil. These cats are known as the Eldest Children, and are addressed as the X's Eldest (i.e. the Son's Eldest) by the rest of the family. The rest of the Children and the Mines address them the same as the regular children. The Family The rest of the Family fall under this rank. They have no special titles, and all ranks call them by their real names. Although most of them share at least a side of aggressiveness and violence, all other personality types may be found here as well. For the most part, the Family is fairly laid back and share a relationship similar to that of a clan or tribe. Sparring matches are common practice, and different groups can be found hunting together. Most of the Family of this rank do not resort to thievery, although sometimes during leaf-bare desperate times call for desperate measures. The Family is allowed to take care of these matters among themselves. If it becomes a huge scene or horrible disturbance, the Children may step in, or worse, one of the Mines. The Infants New recruits and those that have managed to crawl their way out of the Removed rank belong to the Infants. They are mostly referred to by "NAME" regardless of their age, although those close to them within the rank may refer to each other by real names. It is fairly chaotic, and those within this rank have to live a survival of the fittest lifestyle 24/7. This is where the weak get weeded out. Anyone with disabilities or deformities are normally ganged up on, and therefore do not survive in the Family. During leaf-bare, some Infants have been known to resort to cannibalism of other infants who are deemed too weak. Thievery and fighting is very common among this rank, and those bold enough will try their tactics on the Family in an attempt to rise in rank. In order to be fully accepted into the Family, an Infant must gain their trust. The details of this are subjected to the individual Family, Children, and Mine members depending on their individual views, wants, and needs. This usually happens by gaining the trust of Family members and/or forming a strong bond with them. If they feel you are worthy enough, they will approach the Children and vouch for you to a group (including at least one Eldest Child). The Children will decide whether to accept or not (with the Eldest Child/Children having the final say). One Eldest Child would let a Mine know, then return to the Family member to tell them the decision. The more Family members an Infant has to vouch for them, the better their chances. While Infants are allowed to take on a mate, they are not allowed to bear children. The only exceptions are if they joined the Family when pregnant/with children already born, or if the pregnancy came from an unwilling encounter (for which the offender would be punished accordingly). However, there have been some known cases where the latter has not held true. The Removed The mistreated, the punished, the unkempt, the grotesque, the sinners. Although they are still part of the Family, they are considered removed, apart from, unclean; they have sinned and wrought pain and hurt upon the Family, and for that they must be punished. The Removed are treated as less than dirt, forced to live in the disgusting Outskirts of the Kingdom. They are slaves, weak and depressing, oftentimes beat up for no reason other than simply existing. Most serve by taking care of the Kingdom. They stock up on supplies and help reinforce and build up the wall around the Kingdom. All Removed are under a certain Mine's care, and that Mine's Children are in charge of keeping watch, of reinforcing punishments, of making sure they do their job. Oftentimes, the Children will pass on this responsibility to certain members of the Family so they can laze around or spar or hunt with their friends. The Removed must be under watch at all times, so the Children are careful who they place their trust in, and the Family know that gaining the favor of a Child is often the start to their own rise into the higher ranks, so most of the time, things work out. Certain Removed are specifically assigned to serve their Mine - a huge honor that can quickly be lost, and subjects the Removed to the horrendous treatment of the Children. These Removed keep their Mine fed, keep their beds clean and soft, keep their living quarters including clean, and tending to any other need they may have. When the Mine is away, the Eldest Children will take advantage and have the Removed serve them until the Mine's return. If there are enough Removed, some Eldest Children may even get their own. The Removed are not allowed to take on a mate or bear children. They are barely afforded the chance to forge friendships, aside from those rare instances among their own rank. All other ranks look very far down on the Removed, and are oftentimes known to spit upon them as they pass. Due to all of these conditions, the Removed usually have unkempt and matted appearance and are easily subjected to sickness. Any within the family that may have a deformity or disability belong to this rank. The Keepers A whisper. A myth. A tale used to scare misbehaving children, and frighten those who dare go against the Family's rules... or is it? The Keepers of the Family is not a tale of cats, but a tale of shadows drifting through the darkness, of whispers slipping past on the breeze, or mysterious disappearances and unknown spillers of blood. It is said that even if you manage to escape the Family's wrath, you will not be able to escape that of the Keepers'. A price must be paid for sins committed against the Family, and it will be paid in blood one way or another, no matter how long it takes. The Strays A name given to all those outside the Family, but specifically used against those who live within the Kingdom and refuse to submit to the Family's ways. They are extremely evasive and secretive - it is likely you will never see one unless they want you to see them. Culture Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. Religion Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. Jargon Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. In general, words are pluralized by dropping the last vowel and adding -il. For example: homba (fox), hombil (foxes). * "The Family Gathers!" - used only by the Mines to call a Family meeting from on top of the Den * "The Family whispers." - news and rumours spread throughout the Compound * "The Cold Season" - leaf-bare; winter. * "The Green Season" - new-leaf; spring * "The Heat Season" - green-leaf; summer * "The Orange Season" - leaf-fall; fall; autumn * "Scintillula" - kits; young cats under six moons of age. May also be used by parents to refer to their blood children at any time * "Astrificus" - queens; pregnant and nursing mothers of young cats under six moons of age * "Fatifer (male)/Fatigera (female)" - reaper; death; another name for the Keepers * "Pampinator" - medicine cat; the call for a healer/to be healed. The Family has no rank dedicated to healers (usually passed down through blood and chosen relatives), but those skilled in the arts of healing may be called in addition to their real name * "Perviren" - cat goddess of the Green Season and fertility; bringer of flowers and greenery. She is the leader of the Pantheon * "Niniver" - cat god of the Cold Season; bringer of snow and ice * "Viticomus" - cat god of medicine/healing; bringer of good fortunes and health * "Procellosus" - cat god of the Heat Season; bringer of storms * "Auricoma" - cat goddess of the Orange Season; bringer of warmth and early harvest * "Luculenta" - cat goddess of the Sun; bringer of good fortune and warmth; aids mothers in helping watch their scintillulas * "Noctifer" - cat goddess of the Moon; bringer of omens and dreams; aids mothers in keeping their scintillulas safe inside their own nests * "Nubivagus" - cat god of the sky; maker of rainbows and stars; son of Noctifer and Luculenta * "The Agora" - the circle of glowing flowers in city center; the place where the deities may make contact with the mortal plane, and, if one is lucky, vice verse; a place of healing and comfort Notable Locations The Ruined Kingdom The Family resides within the remnants of a large, abandoned kingdom that has long since been overtaken by nature. Rumors say you can still hear the screams of destruction from when the capital fell on a starless night; some say you will only hear it during the moon leading up to your death. Neither have been proven... but rumors always start from a truth. The Family takes pride in reigning over the entire kingdom. There are a few strays within the kingdom that do not belong to the Family, and any caught by the Family are either forced to submit or are killed on sight. Those strays left within the kingdom bounds are extremely evasive and secretive. You will not find them by looking for them - only by chance. The kingdom itself seems to constantly be shrouded in mist and shadows, and there is almost always clouds in the sky. The sun usually filters through every once in a while, but it never stays long. The entire place is dull, and seemingly void of most colors. Outskirts Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. Capital Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. Fortress Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. The Agora The only touch of colour within the city seems to be the glimmer of eyes as cats slip through the city's cracks, and the old florist shop towards the other side of the city, almost outside of city center. All the flowers that were once sold at this shop now grow in this area (although it is a mystery how since the sun rarely ever seems to shine through the clouds within the city). The array of flowers grow in what appears to be a perfect circle, and some say in the dead of night, they glow as bright as the stars. This is called the Agora and is considered a sacred place by the Family, and those permitted to leave the Compound may come here to meditate or heal from wounds - both physical and mental. Anyone caught vandalizing the Agora will be subjected to torture for the rest of their life, regardless of whether they belong to the Family or not. The Sewers Storm Dwellers. ''The information about this place is currently unknown History Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tincidunt eleifend rhoncus. Donec feugiat at ipsum non molestie. Pellentesque non placerat ipsum. Quisque lobortis ipsum id varius semper. Vestibulum viverra sagittis mi, sed aliquam lectus. Duis semper congue libero varius gravida. Nulla ac feugiat justo, eu rutrum velit. Praesent rhoncus luctus mi sit amet sollicitudin. Proin luctus velit ut nunc lacinia pretium. Maecenas sodales ac odio in feugiat. Fusce sodales vestibulum erat eu porta. Nam commodo sapien eget molestie posuere. Nunc auctor dui at mi finibus volutpat. Integer at mollis nisi. Members The Family of Mine '''Mother of Mine '| Monstre Charmant Father of Mine '| ''Melias "Malice" Charmant 'Son of Mine '| Soleil Charmant 'Daughter of Mine '| Unknown The Children '''Mother's Children ''| Unknown'' Father's Children ''| Deo, Deidrich'' Son's Children ''| Warren'' Daughter's Children ''| Unknown'' The Family Names The Infants Names The Removed Names The Keepers Names